UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON STUDENT FEES POLICY

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1 UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON STUDENT FEES POLICY entry 1st November 2018 version 1

2 CONTENTS A. EXTERNAL STATUTORY AND FUNDING CONTEXT B. TYPES OF FEE C. BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS D. ADDITIONAL FEES E. SHORT COURSE FEES F. HOW TO PAY FEES G. SPONSORED STUDENTS H. INSTALMENT PAYMENT I. FEE DISCOUNTS J. FEE REMISSION/CONCESSIONARY FEES K. FEE PREPAYMENTS L. GENERAL FEE POLICY AND PROCEDURES M. EXCEPTIONAL FEE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS N. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS 2

3 A. EXTERNAL STATUTORY AND FUNDING CONTEXT Current Position Undergraduate 1. The following fee position applies at the point of publication of this Policy but is subject to change. Please see the University s website for more details 2. For students who started their course on or after 1 September 2012, institutions are permitted by legislation to charge 'Home' undergraduate students fees up to a specified maximum "fee cap" ( 9,250 per year in ), subject to the approval of the Office for Students (OfS). 3. At the point of publication of this Policy, educational institutions are required to treat EU nationals who are not Home students and who meet certain residence requirements ('EU Students') and other specified categories of students in the same way as 'Home' students in terms of tuition fee levels and policy. 4. Undergraduate students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man ( Islands Students ) who started their course on or after 1 September 2012 have been charged the same tuition fee rate as 'Home' students, in line with an agreement with the relevant Islands education authorities. Full-time undergraduate Islands students are not funded by the OfS. The Islands authorities will only provide financial support to Islands students where these rates are not exceeded. Whilst the agreement with the relevant Islands education authorities remains in place, Islands students will continue to be charged the same tuition fee as 'Home' students. 5. There are different fee caps in place for undergraduate part-time students, Erasmus+/study year students and sandwich placement year students. 6. Institutions are permitted by legislation to charge fees over the fee cap to students who do not fall within those specified categories (such as "overseas students") and the University is free to determine its own tuition fee levels in respect of these students. 7. You can contact the College where you are studying (or to which you are applying) for more information regarding your fee status and the criteria to be met to pay 'Home' fees. 8. Home and EU Students may obtain a Tuition Fee Loan and other student support from the Student Loans Company (SLC). For further details, visit the gov.uk website. 9. Home and EU Students undertaking a course at a level which is equivalent to or lower than a qualification already held will not receive any student support under the Government s Equivalent or Lower level Qualifications (ELQ) process. Students in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) are exempt from the requirements of the ELQ arrangements. Postgraduate 10. There is no legislative fee cap on the level of postgraduate tuition fees (taught or research), and fee levels for these courses will continue to be set by the University on the basis of cost of provision, market forces and other factors. 3

4 11. While tuition fee rates for postgraduate students are not externally determined, it should be noted that where a student is successful in applying for financial support from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) the AHRC will only provide tuition fee support up to a specified level in any particular academic year. Where proof of AHRC funding is provided the University will meet any shortfall. Further Education Courses 12. The following fee position applies at the point of publication of this policy but is subject to change. 13. Institutions are not permitted to charge tuition or exam fees to Home or EU Students under the age of 19 on 31 August 2019 who undertake Further Education (FE) courses which are publicly funded. 14. Not all FE courses offered by the University are publicly-funded; those courses that are not may therefore incur tuition and/or exam fee charges. 15. Where an FE student is aged 19 or over on 31 August 2019 there are circumstances where the Government specifies that students on publicly-funded courses should not be charged a tuition fee. 16. Where those circumstances do not apply and a tuition fee is charged to a Home/EU FE student aged 19 or over as at 31 August 2019 on a publicly-funded course, the Government currently provides tuition fee loans ( Advanced Learner Loans ) through the Student Loans Company (SLC) to support FE students in paying their fees. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will specify the maximum amount of tuition fee loan which can be taken out, and the University will take this into account when setting the level of fee for these students. 17. FE Islands Students (Channel Islands or Isle of Man) are not entitled to ESFA funding and so are charged the same fees as overseas students. 18. You can contact the University Admissions Service to find out whether your FE course is publiclyfunded, the criteria to be met for free tuition, and FE course tuition fee levels. Anticipated fee increases for undergraduate courses (Home and EU Students) 19. The Government has announced that the level of undergraduate fee cap for entry will remain at 9,250. Please note, for students commencing their first year of study with the University in , that tuition fees payable for each academic year of their programme will be subject to increase in line with inflation where such an increase is permitted by legislation. Tuition fee rates for part-time undergraduate students are also liable to increase on the same basis. Please see the University website for the most up to date information about fees. If your tuition fees will be increasing we will notify you as soon as possible in writing. Anticipated change for EU Students 20. EU Students will continue to be charged the same tuition fee as Home students whilst the current fee legislation remains in force. Following the UK's June 2016 vote in favour of leaving the EU the Government has confirmed that for entry EU students will be eligible for the same levels of student support and funding council grant as Home students, and that this will continue for the duration of their course, even if their enrolment on a course starting in academic year occurs after the UK s withdrawal from the EU. The fee status for EU nationals studying in academic year onwards (including in respect of students deferring a place from academic year 4

5 ) has yet to be determined by the Government. We recommend EU nationals regularly visit the University s website for updates on the fees status position for academic year Please note that the level of tuition fees payable by EU Students for each academic year of an undergraduate course will be subject to increase where this is permitted by the fee regulations at that time. If your tuition fees will be increasing we will notify you as soon as possible in writing. Fee increases for postgraduate students, and overseas students studying on undergraduate courses 22. For all postgraduate students, and overseas students studying on undergraduate courses, in each case where the relevant course has a duration of more than one academic year, then unless stated otherwise the University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and any subsequent year of a course annually in line with inflation, provided the level of any inflationary increase will be capped at a maximum of 5% per annum. If your tuition fees will be increasing we will notify you as soon as possible in writing. Further information 23. The University recognises that some students may want further information or advice about this Policy and how it operates. The Student Advice Service is available to students who would like further advice on this Policy, and Fees Managers in each College can also discuss with students particular issues such as requests to pay fees in instalments. B. TYPES OF FEE 24. The primary fee payable for a student s course is the tuition fee, and this is the fee which is governed by legislation and may be controlled by the Government or other funding body. 25. The rate of fee charged may vary according to the funding and fee status of the student. Your fee status depends on whether you meet certain criteria. The process of determining which rate of fee is paid by a student is termed fee assessment, and is managed by the University Admissions Service. Further information about the fee assessment process is available on the University s website. 26. The course tuition fee is applied to the specified qualification irrespective of mode of attendance unless specifically agreed otherwise. Where a full-time course is also offered on a part-time basis then a pro-rata fee is charged on the basis that (ignoring annual inflationary adjustment) the same overall course fee is paid irrespective of whether the qualification is being studied on a full-time or part-time basis. 27. For some flexible learning Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses a fee is charged for each unit of a course rather than for the entire programme. Where this is the case the fee for the smallest unit (usually 10 or 20 credits) will be based on the amount of academic credit associated with that unit, as a proportion of the total course. Separate fee rates will be calculated for Home/EU and overseas students. This unit fee will then be rounded up to the nearest 10. Fees for larger units with more academic credit will be based on multiples of this unit fee. This means that a student undertaking a full CPD qualification may pay slightly more (due to rounding) than a student undertaking the same qualification on a non-cpd basis. 28. Unit-level fee rates for CPD courses are adjusted annually for inflation, for Home/EU and overseas student fees. This means that the fee charged to a new student for a particular unit may 5

6 not be the same as the fee charged to a continuing student taking the same unit. 29. Other fees which may be charged include the following: Examination fee (also known as Awarding Body registration fee ) this would be payable by an FE student whose qualification is externally set and validated. This includes courses validated by the University s awarding body (UALAB). Awarding bodies invoice the University for every student registered with them, irrespective of status, and these fees are normally collected at or by enrolment along with tuition fees. Where a student is exempt from the requirement to pay fees (for example a Home/EU FE student aged under 19) then the cost of this fee is funded by the University. HE students are registered for qualifications validated by the University for which no examination fee is due. Additional fees these include residential fees and are covered in section D. 30. Accommodation fees and associated procedures are managed by the University s Accommodation Services and fall outside the scope of this Policy. C. BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS 31. The University currently offers a number of scholarships, bursaries and other awards which cover all or part of a student s fees. Eligibility criteria vary and depend on the level of the course (postgraduate, undergraduate or FE) and so the letter which accompanies the award of a scholarship or bursary should always be read carefully by students. Being in receipt of a scholarship could affect entitlement to a fee discount see section I of this Policy. The University website should be consulted for further information. D. ADDITIONAL FEES 32. Most courses at the University charge a tuition fee. However in many areas there are also additional costs incurred by a student when undertaking a course, some (e.g. residential fees) clearly quantified and others (for example those associated with end of year shows) more openended. The University recognises that it is important that information about such additional fees should be communicated clearly to applicants and students. 33. There are only very limited circumstances in which students could be charged additional compulsory fees on top of their tuition fees, for example where a separate residential fee is charged for a particular course. 34. Undergraduate courses are currently subject to a regulated fee, and guidance is provided by the Government as to what fees, if any, can be charged to Home and EU Students on top of the tuition fee. No additional fee will be charged to a student unless it complies with the relevant statutory requirements. Where an additional fee is charged it will be at the same rate for all students on that course irrespective of their fee paying status (i.e. Home, EU or Overseas). 6

7 E. SHORT COURSES 35. The University s Short Courses are offered by a separate trading arm of the University which provides short courses, consultancy, tailor-made training and other related programmes. These courses are offered on a full-cost commercial basis, and receive no Government funding. Most courses offered by the University s Language Centre are provided on the same basis. 36. These courses are primarily commercial rather than educational activities, and as such they fall outside the scope of this Policy. F. HOW TO PAY FEES 37. Tuition and other fees are charged in UK (pounds sterling). 38. Payment of fees can be made through the University s secure on-line payment facility which can be found at The student s ID number (provided along with the offer of a place on a course) is required. Payment can also be made by internet banking or by bank transfer. 39. Payment may also be made in person at or before enrolment by Visa/Delta, MasterCard, Maestro and Electron cards. Credit/debit card payments cannot be made over the telephone. Payment of fees in cash cannot be accepted. Further information about payment of fees can be found in the How to pay your tuition fees page on the University website. G. SPONSORED STUDENTS 40. If an employer or other organisation agrees to pay all or part of a student s tuition fees the University will invoice them for the appropriate amount. Parents, family and friends do not count as sponsors for this purpose and if they pay all or part of a student s fees that student will be treated as self-financing and will need to pay the fees accordingly. 41. Where a sponsor is paying fees on behalf of a student, confirmation of that sponsorship must be provided for each year of study being funded by the sponsor before the student may be enrolled without payment. Further information about the information to be provided by sponsors can be found in the How to pay your tuition fees page on the University website. 42. Where a sponsor fails to pay the relevant fees, or withdraws their support at any point during the year, the student will be liable for any outstanding fees. 43. Some non-uk Governments which sponsor students will pay the fees to the student rather than direct to the University. This may be in termly instalments. Where a Government sponsor s rules require the payment to be made in this way, then provided there is written evidence of this, and the student undertakes to pay their fees to the University without delay and understands that if this support is withdrawn they will be liable for the full fee, then such an instalment payment arrangement is allowed. Further advice should be obtained from local Fees Managers where necessary. 7

8 44. Where a sponsored student (including anyone whose fees are being paid through a non-uk Government loan) withdraws from their course then the fee liability of a corporate sponsor will be limited to the level of liability accepted by the sponsor in the event of the withdrawal of the sponsored student. Under these circumstances the withdrawing student will not be asked to make up any shortfall, as with undergraduate SLC-sponsored students who withdraw. This does not apply where a student s fees are paid by a third party such as another family member of the student, and in these circumstances a student who withdraws from his or her course will continue to be liable for any fees due as set out in Section L (General Fee policy and procedures) 45. Further information about the procedures to be followed by sponsored students is contained in the How to pay your tuition fees pages on the University website. H. INSTALMENT PAYMENT 46. University policy is that the fee due for a particular academic year should be paid in full at or by the start of the academic year. Where the fee is to be paid by a sponsor or SLC loan then evidence of this must be provided to the University at or by the enrolment date for the course. 47. Tuition fees may be paid in instalments for postgraduate courses (including Graduate Diplomas) that last longer than 30 weeks, and for the FE Foundation Studies in Performance course at CSM. Further information can be obtained from the University website or from the relevant College Fees Manager. 48. Special arrangements are in place for students who are self-funding for one academic year as a result of previous study. This applies to UK undergraduate students in receipt of maintenance funding and who have to pay their own fees for one year of a BA course because their previous study means that they cannot take out an SLC loan for that year. These students will have automatic approval for payment of their fees in instalments during their self-funded year on the basis of one third of the fee each term, payable after receipt of the termly maintenance grant payment. These students will also be asked to discuss these arrangements with the University s student advisors to ensure that they are affordable. 49. Paying fees in instalments does not affect a student s liability for the full tuition fee for the relevant academic year in the event of withdrawal from the course. See Section L (General fee policy including withdrawal and refunds) below for further information. 50. Where a student paying in instalments takes a full or partial year out from their course then fees will continue to be collected under the terms of that instalment arrangement. However in exceptional circumstances (which could include where the year out is taken due to financial difficulties) the student can request suspension of the instalment arrangements until they return to their course. This should be discussed with the local Fees Manager if it is a standard postgraduate payment plan. If it is a specific payment plan which has been approved by the Fees Policy Group then the University s Credit Control team should be contacted in the first instance. I. FEE DISCOUNTS 51. Students starting a postgraduate Masters course at the University (i.e. MA, MSc, MRes) are entitled to a 1,000 progression discount on the tuition fee payable (split between years if a course lasts more than one year) if they have previously successfully completed an undergraduate level or 8

9 postgraduate level course at the University. Further information can be obtained from the University website. 52. For students attending flexible learning/cpd postgraduate courses the progression discount is recognised through charging a reduced fee rate for each unit of the course. Teaching and Learning Exchange courses are not covered by this discount. 53. Specific arrangements apply to former UAL students on MBA courses at the University. Please see the relevant course pages on the University website for further information. 54. Students in receipt of a scholarship or bursary should check the terms of their award to see whether this will affect their entitlement to a progression discount. J. FEE REMISSION/CONCESSIONARY FEES 55. Fee Remission and Concessionary Fee Status only apply in certain circumstances to Home/EU Students on the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (FAD) course, as set out in the following paragraphs. Fee Remission 56. Home FAD students starting their studies in academic year who satisfy the University s means-testing requirements and who progress onto a UAL BA course in academic year will receive a bursary equivalent to 50% of the value of the FE fee they paid in , when they enrol on their BA course. 57. There will be no fee remission in academic year for students on the FE Foundation in Performance course at Drama Centre London, or on other FE courses. Concessionary Fee status 58. Under the funding rules Home and EU Students on the FAD course aged and who do not already have a full Level 3 qualification do not have to pay tuition fees ( Concessionary fee status ). Awarding body registration fees are still payable in full. At the point of publication of this Policy the FE funding rules have not yet been published by the Government. 59. Please see the Further Education Tuition fees page on the University website for the current position on concessionary fee status. K. FEE PREPAYMENTS 60. Overseas fee-paying students are required to make a fee prepayment (also described as a deposit) to secure their place on a course. The balance of the tuition fee due is payable on or by enrolment. Further information is contained in the International Fees and Money page on the University s website. 61. This prepayment is refundable where an applicant who has accepted an offer of a place on a course subsequently declines their offer of a place on a course. Once a student has enrolled on their course 9

10 but subsequently withdraws from the course then the terms of any refund of prepaid fees will be the same as for the refund of tuition fees more generally. See section L of this policy for further information about fee refunds. 62. Students who are being sponsored by an official financial sponsor as defined by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) may request a prepayment/deposit waiver by sending evidence of their sponsorship with their Offer Acceptance Form. 63. Where a student joins a different UAL course to the one for which they originally accepted an offer of a place, they may put their prepayment towards the fees for that course (this does not apply to short courses or English Language courses). If a student is allowed to defer their place, any funds prepaid may be carried forward to the next academic year. L. GENERAL FEE POLICY AND PROCEDURES 64. Fees are payable in full at or by enrolment unless evidence of sponsorship is available or the student is entitled to pay their fees in instalments (see section H). 65. Where a student s tuition fee is calculated on a pro rata basis this is normally calculated on the basis of academic credit as a proportion of the total credit value of the relevant course year. For example an undergraduate student repeating a 20 credit course unit would pay one sixth (20/120) of the yearly course fee, rounded to the nearest 10 (rounded up if at the midpoint). However if it is agreed that a student would repeat two terms of a course, for example, then the pro rata calculation would be based on the number of terms attended, i.e. 2/3 of the annual course fee rounded to the nearest 10. Refunds 66. There is no general entitlement to a refund of tuition fees once a student has started their course, except in the case of overpayment or receipt of sponsorship after payment of the fees by the student or where the University has committed to giving a refund under the Enrolment Terms and Conditions or the Compensation Policy. Refunds for other reasons will only be made in specific circumstances as set out below. 67. Where a fee (or prepayment) refund is agreed it will be made payable to the individual or organisation that originally paid the fees (or prepayment, as applicable) within 14 days of the refund being approved by the University. For example: a) where a student's fees are paid by the SLC, as part of a tuition fee loan or grant, any refund will be made to the SLC; b) where a student's fees are paid by the student, any refund will be made to their verified bank account; and c) if a student's fees are paid by their employer or another third party, any refund will be made to the verified bank account of the employer or third party that originally paid the fees. Early withdrawals within first three weeks of the start of the course 68. Subject to the Enrolment Terms and Conditions, where a student withdraws from their course during the first three weeks of the first year of study the University will waive any tuition or associated fee liability (including any prepaid tuition fees) relating to attendance on that course. 10

11 Further information in relation to such withdrawals is provided as follows: a) This applies to students starting a new course only, and so students starting the second or third year of a course are not covered by this Policy. b) Direct entrants to the second or third year of a course are included, as are students starting a top-up BA course. c) This applies to all categories of student: Home, EU and Overseas. d) The three-week period starts from the formal start date of the course and not from the date of enrolment. Where a student joins a course after the normal course start date the threeweek period starts from the date upon which the student starts attending the course. e) If a student does not complete the formal enrolment process until after starting to attend a course the three week period starts from the point of first attendance on the course, not the enrolment date. f) Where the first week of a course includes a Freshers Festival or similar activity then this week is included in the three-week period covered by this Policy. g) This policy only covers students who start their course and then withdraw from the course. It does not affect the existing requirement for students to pay their tuition fees in full (or provide evidence of sponsorship) on or by enrolment, and it does not in any way sanction an extended deadline for the payment of fees. Withdrawal after three weeks of course 69. It is currently University policy for a student who withdraws three weeks or more after starting their course to be liable for the full year s fee, except, subject to the Enrolment Terms and Conditions, in specified circumstances as set out below: a) Where a student with an undergraduate SLC tuition fee loan withdraws from their course, the University will only receive the relevant proportion of the SLC fee loan triggered by the student s attendance on the specified census date(s). For example the University will only receive the Spring term fees payment if the student is continuing to attend during that term. The fee liability of an undergraduate SLC-sponsored student who withdraws from their course will therefore be restricted to the amount of fee payable by the SLC, and the student will not be liable to pay the balance of the course fee not met by the SLC. This applies equally to FE students taking out an FE SLC tuition fee loan. Please see paragraph 74 below for details of the liabilities for students taking a postgraduate loan (taught or research). b) Where an Overseas student is prevented from continuing on a course due to refusal of their visa application. In these circumstances the tuition fees paid by the student (including deposit) for the relevant academic year are refunded in full, irrespective of the amount of time already spent on the course by the student. Evidence of the visa refusal must be provided and the refund request must be signed off by the Deputy Head of University Admissions (International) or another authorised member of the International Admissions team. c) Where a student is prevented from continuing on a course due to medical or other exceptional reasons outside their reasonable control. Any such refund request must be supported by such evidence as may be reasonably requested by the University, and the University will have discretion to decide each case based on the individual circumstances. d) Where a curriculum-related student complaint against the University has been upheld, then the relevant Dean must endorse and submit a refund request to the University Secretary 11

12 and Registrar for consideration. e) In the unfortunate event of the death of a current student there is an entitlement to a full refund of any tuition fees paid by the student for the academic year in question. The normal requirement to produce evidence will be waived where it would be inappropriate in the University's reasonable opinion. f) Where a student withdraws from a course at a recognised exit point (for example an MA student leaves the course at the PgCert stage) then their fee liability will be restricted to the relevant proportion of the overall course fee. Where this results in an overpayment on the part of the student then a refund of that overpayment will be payable to the student. 70. The SLC loan exception (paragraph 69a above) also covers a situation where a student can demonstrate that they have applied for SLC fees support but not yet received it. Provided the student can produce evidence to show that they have applied for SLC support in a timely manner then, subject to paragraph 71, they can be treated in the same way as those whose fees are being paid by SLC. In these situations, even if the student withdraws from the course before any payment of fees could be made, they would not become personally liable for the payment of any fees if they withdraw from their course provided they can show that they had applied to the SLC for fees support. 71. Application for SLC support does not automatically exempt a student from fees liability where that application would be expected to be unsuccessful, for example in the case of an Overseas or ELQ student. 72. Where a student s fees are being paid partly through a SLC loan and partly through up front payment then only the element of the fees paid through a SLC loan will be covered by paragraph 69a above. 73. Paragraph 69a above also applies to Home or EU FE students who are entitled to take out a SLC tuition fee loan ( Advanced Learner Loan ) which would potentially cover their tuition fees. 74. Anyone not covered by these exceptions (for example continuing students paying their own fees or sponsored students covered in paragraph 44) will continue to be liable for the full fee if they withdraw from their course. Where a taught or research postgraduate student takes out an SLC loan to assist in covering the costs of their course they may choose to use some or all of that loan to contribute towards the tuition fees which are payable to the University. However where such a student withdraws from their course they will also continue to be liable for the full fee if they withdraw from their course. Referrals/re-sits and repeated study 75. Where a student is referred by an exam board and given more time to resubmit their work without needing to attend classes or receive further tuition there is no separate tuition fee payable. However where a student needs to re-sit all or part of a course then the relevant fee needs to be paid. This is calculated on the basis of the academic credit value of the repeated study in relation to the full academic year as set out in paragraph 65 above. Where an FE student repeats a period of study the awarding body registration fee does not normally have to be paid again. 12

13 76. The fee rate used for this calculation is subject to inflationary adjustment see section A (paragraphs 19 22) and paragraph 79 for more information. Suspension of studies (full/partial year out) 77. There may be circumstances in which a student may request a full or partial year out from their studies. Where such a request receives academic approval then provided there is no repeated study the tuition fee originally paid will be held over to cover the delayed period of study. Any inflationary adjustment to the standard fee due for the delayed year of study will need to be paid. See section A (paragraphs 19 22) for more information. 78. There is no automatic entitlement to a refund of any tuition fees paid in respect of a part of the course covered by the suspension of studies. However in line with paragraph 50 above, in exceptional circumstances the student can request a refund of the element of the fee already paid which covers the period of suspended study. This should be done through submitting a request to the local Fees Manager. Where this is exceptionally agreed the refund will be calculated on the basis of any terms for which no attendance has been made. Any outstanding fees would need to be paid in full (including any relevant inflationary adjustment) before the student can resume their studies. 79. Where any repeated study is involved when a student returns from a full or partial year out then the relevant fee (pro rata to the current fee and rounded to the nearest 10, rounding up if at the midpoint) will be payable. See paragraphs 75 and 76 above for further information. Where there has been a significant change to the course fee used for the pro rata fee calculation, compared to the fee originally paid by the student before they suspended their studies, then the original course fee adjusted by the agreed annual inflation factor will be used for the fee calculation. Transfer to another UAL course 80. Where a student transfers mid-year to a different course within the University then the fee paid will be apportioned between the relevant schools/colleges. Where the rate of fee for both courses is the same then no further fee is payable by the student. Where the rate of fee for the two courses is different then a pro rata calculation (as set out in paragraph 65 above) will be carried out for each period of study and the student either asked to pay the balance due, or refunded, as appropriate. The same will apply where a student changes their mode of study (i.e. where a full-time student moves to the part-time version of the same course). 81. The same principle applies where a student moves to another course at the University but does not join at the same point (for example leaves mid-course and then starts a new course at the beginning). Any tuition fee paid for the former course will be apportioned on the basis of actual study undertaken, and any remaining funds can be carried forward to contribute towards the fees for the new course. 82. Where a student takes time out from a course (partial or full year out) and then decides to request a transfer to a different UAL course then the position is the same as in paragraphs 80 and 81 above. However this only applies where it has already been agreed that the student may take time out from their course. Where a student withdraws from a course and then applies to join a different UAL course the fee liability for the first course is the same as with any other student withdrawal. 13

14 Transfer to a course at another institution 83. Where a student transfers mid-year to a course at a different institution then that institution may request that an appropriate proportion of the fees is transferred to them to cover tuition for the remainder of the academic year. Such a request will be agreed to where the receiving institution undertakes to reciprocate in future where necessary. Any student in this situation should consult their local Fees Manager in the first instance. 84. Where the transferring student has taken out an SLC loan to cover their tuition fees then the fees will continue to be paid to the institution where the student is studying on each specified termly census date. Fee income will not be apportioned between institutions in these circumstances. Any student in this situation is advised to contact the University s Student Funding team to ensure that the SLC is aware of the position. Joining a course after the start 85. There is no entitlement to a reduction in the fee due where a student joins a course later in the relevant term. However in the unlikely event of a student joining a course a full term after the start of the course (for example joining an autumn term start course in the following January) then they would not be charged a tuition fee for any term during which they had not yet started their attendance on the course. Deferred applications 86. Where it is agreed that an applicant may defer their application until the following academic year then the tuition fee payable will be that relating to the year of enrolment and not the year of the original application. The only exception to this is where the deferral has been instigated by the University, for whatever reason, in which case the applicant may request payment of fees at the rate prevailing in the year of their initial application (adjusted for inflation). Courses spanning more than one academic year 87. Where a course spans two sessions (e.g. running from January to December), annual fees should be charged based on the fee for the session in which the student enrols, e.g. a full-time postgraduate student who enrols on a one-year course in January 2020 would be charged for the course ending December 2020 at the rate. Foundation degree students progressing directly to BA study at UAL 88. Where a student undertakes a foundation degree course at UAL and progresses without a break onto a UAL top-up BA course or onto the final year of a UAL BA course then the tuition fee payable for the BA course will be calculated on the basis that the student is undertaking a single three-year programme of study and not starting a new course. This will apply equally to Home, EU and Overseas students. Students in this situation will normally need to successfully complete a foundation degree bridging course before starting the BA course. Erasmus and other exchange students 89. Students on incoming Erasmus exchange programmes (Home/EU or overseas) are not charged a tuition fee. The same applies to incoming students on non-erasmus exchange programmes, unless 14

15 the relevant exchange agreement says otherwise. 90. Home/EU Students on full year outgoing Erasmus+ or non-erasmus exchange programmes in academic year are charged a tuition fee ( 1,385 for or entrants) and subject to the inflationary adjustment arrangements referred to in section A paragraphs 19 22). Students on any other outgoing Erasmus and non-erasmus exchange programmes are treated as standard students and therefore normally charged the full fee for the course. 91. For purposes of Erasmus or non-erasmus exchange programmes a full year is currently defined as a year in which the aggregate of any one or more periods of full-time study at the University is less than 10 weeks. The administrative arrangements for these schemes are complex and further advice should be sought from local Fees Managers or College staff where necessary. Student liabilities and non-payment of fees 92. In order to progress or complete their University education satisfactorily, students should meet all obligations associated with the University, College and course in full. The obligations associated with the University, the College and the course include the payment of all fees related to the course. 93. A student with outstanding tuition fee liabilities may have access to the University s learning resources and IT facilities removed and be excluded from learning activities until payment or explicit agreement has been effected. Where a student does not pay their outstanding tuition fee liabilities to the University within a reasonable time, the University reserves the right to expel them from the University, terminate the Contract between them and the University and to not allow them to attend graduation (where relevant) at the end of their course. Having an outstanding tuition fee liability will affect a student s ability to progress to the next year of their course or to receive their certificate or transcript. M. EXCEPTIONAL FEE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS 94. Any student experiencing financial difficulties during the course of the academic year should consult the Student Advice Service in the first instance. Where this leads to a request for exceptional fee payment arrangements this should be discussed with their local Fees Manager. Where supported by the College, exceptional fee payment requests are submitted to the University s Fee Policy Group. Political difficulties affecting payment of fees 95. There may be some students who encounter difficulty with the payment of their fees through political or other reasons beyond their control. This could for example potentially apply to students from Ukraine or Syria. Any student in such as situation should discuss their case with their local Fees Manager. 15

16 N. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS 96. Where a student or applicant is dissatisfied with their fee assessment (i.e. Home, EU, Islands or Overseas) then they should request a written reason for their assessment from the University Admissions Service. If they then wish to challenge the basis for the assessment they should contact the Head of Admissions in the University s Academic Registry. 97. Where a student or applicant is dissatisfied with their level of fee they have been asked to pay, or wishes to make a complaint about a fee-related matter, they should raise the matter with their local Fees Manager in the first instance. If dissatisfied with the outcome the student should invoke the University s complaints and appeals procedure, which is set out on the University s website. 98. Where a student or applicant wishes to appeal against a decision that has been referred for determination by the Fees Policy Group they should seek advice from their local Fees Manager who would explain the grounds for appeal and the process. The grounds for allowing an appeal are extenuating circumstances or material irregularity. The appeal would go to the Dean of Students for consideration and the student would be notified of the outcome within 14 days of the submission of the appeal. 16